PNAS Science Sessions
Welcome to Science Sessions, the PNAS podcast program. Listen to brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in PNAS, plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
Latest episodes
Jun 7, 2019 • 5min
Public science literacy, and race and gender bias in science education
Dr. Mae Jemison is a physician and scientist, who on September 12, 1992 aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, became the world's first woman of color to travel into space. Listen as Dr. Jemison discusses race and gender bias in science education, and the importance of public science literacy.
Jun 7, 2019 • 5min
The origin of malignant malaria
Dr. Nathan Wolfe is the Lorry I. Lokey Visiting Professor in Human Biology at Stanford University and Director of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative. Listen as Dr. Wolfe discusses malaria and the parasites that cause it, and his research that determined the origin of malignant malaria in humans.
Jun 7, 2019 • 5min
Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Lennart Balk
Dr. Lennart Balk discusses the thiamine deficiency syndrome killing European wild birds.
Jun 7, 2019 • 6min
Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Mary Immordino-Yang
Dr. Mary Immordino-Yang discusses her fMRI study of admiration and compassion.
Jun 7, 2019 • 6min
Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Vera Gorbunova
Dr. Vera Gorbunova discusses the innate cancer immunity of the naked mole rat.
Jun 7, 2019 • 5min
Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner Daniel Rugar
Listen as Dr. Daniel Rugar discusses his 100 million-fold improvement in resolution to conventional magnetic resonance imaging.
Jun 7, 2019 • 5min
Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winners Michael Köttgen and Owen Woodward
Michael Köttgen and Owen Woodward discuss identifying a key gene associated with gout, and the possible therapeutic implications.
Jun 7, 2019 • 6min
Interview with Cozzarelli Prize Winner John Dore
John Dore discusses the connection between rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the increasing acidity of Earth's oceans.
Jun 7, 2019 • 5min
Adaptation and Evolution: The Life of an RNA Virus
Edward C. Holmes is a professor of biology and a Distinguished Senior Scholar in the Eberly College of Science at the Pennsylvania State University. Listen as Dr. Holmes discusses his research on using comparative genomics to study the genetic evolution of RNA viruses.
Jun 7, 2019 • 5min
Privacy and Social Security numbers
Alessandro Acquisti is an Associate Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Listen as Dr. Acquisti discusses his research in the economics of privacy and his 2009 PNAS research article on predicting Social Security numbers.
